Einfluss des Aufgabenwechsels auf die Zahlenverarbeitung

• Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Korbinian Möller, seit 3/2018
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Allgemeine, Kognitive und Mathematische Psychologie
• Förderung: Förderung von 2017 bis 2022
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 367397741

• Erstellungsjahr: 2022

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

There is accumulating evidence indicating that individual life prospects are associated substantially with the ability to appropriately deal with and handle numbers. Therefore, it is highly relevant to better understand which domain-specific numerical skills (such as understanding number magnitude information), but also which domain-general cognitive processes are critical for the processing of numerical information. In particular, the domain-general ability of cognitive control gained increasing research interest for the processing of numbers in recent years. Even in tasks as simple as number magnitude comparison influences of cognitive control were reported. However, so far studies investigating influences of cognitive control in number processing mainly focused on passive adaptations to stimulus set characteristics (most often magnitude comparison tasks). To overcome this shortcoming, this project aimed at investigating influences of an active exertion of cognitive control on number processing when participants have to switch between two (numerical) tasks. As such task switching paradigms are commonly used in cognitive control research this is a new approach on evaluating influences of cognitive control on number processing. In particular, his project looked at effects of task switching on processing single-digit (Study 1) as well as two-digit numbers (Study 2). In two supplementing computational modelling studies, we aimed at i) generalizing the architecture of the model by Huber et al. (2016) for multi-digit number magnitude comparison to parity judgements and ii) integrating these two models into an overarbeing model framework able to account for influences of an active exertion of cognitive control by means of task switching on number processing. The results of the first study indicated that task switching significantly influenced number magnitude processing as reflected in a reduced numerical distance effect suggesting more efficient processing of number magnitude information in switch trials. There was no significant modulation of the SNARC effect. Synced with previous results on modulations of the SNARC and numerical distance effect, these results seem to indicate that specific task requirements (i.e., switching between numerical tasks only vs. switching between numerical and nonnumerical tasks) may lead to a selective prioritization of different aspects of numerical information (e.g., magnitude information vs. its spatial association). In the combined second study on two-digit number processing, we observed that task switching significantly influenced parity processing as the parity congruency effect was reduced in switch trials. There was no significant modulation of the unit-decade compatibility effect. Closer inspection of the results pattern indicated that task-irrelevant numerical information seems to be inhibited in situations requiring the active exertion of cognitive control. With respect to the computational modelling component of the project, results clearly indicated that the model architecture suggested by Huber et al. (2016) suggesting decomposed processing of units, tens, etc. can be generalized from magnitude comparison to parity judgements successfully and without major changes to the model. Finally, we also were successful in integrating the new model simulating parity judgements and the Huber et al. model simulating magnitude comparison into one overarching model framework. This final model successfully simulated task switches between parity judgements and magnitude comparisons and thus helps to better understand influences of the active exertion of cognitive control on number processing. In particular, the project results indicate that in number processing cognitive control acts as an information prioritization mechanism, which seems to allocate cognitive resources to the most explicitly processed numerical information (i.e., magnitude, its spatial association, parity).

Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)

• Cognitive control in number processing: new evidence from task switching. Psychological Research, 85(7), 2578-2587.
  Schliephake, Andreas; Bahnmueller, J.; Willmes, K. & Moeller, K.
  
• Cognitive control in number processing: new evidence from number compatibility effects in task-switching. Cognitive Processing, 23(2), 191-202.
  Schliephake, A.; Bahnmueller, J.; Willmes, K.; Koch, I. & Moeller, K.
  
• Influences of cognitive control on number processing: New evidence from switching between two numerical tasks. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 76(11), 2514-2523.
  Schliephake, Andreas; Bahnmueller, Julia; Willmes, Klaus; Koch, Iring & Moeller, Korbinian